Timor Leste Journal of Business and Management

The Role of Innovative Organizational Culture on the Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Work Performance

2025-10-09T23:27:47+00:00

Considering globalization and digital transformation, Dili University (UNDIL) is necessary to improve the quality of service through the synergy of this study. This will affect transformational management's work at university institutions, and an innovative organizational culture serves as a mediator. With the help of research data from 12lecturers and academic and administrative employees, when conducting these analyses via PLS-SEM, the results show that transformation management significantly improves performance, particularly when promoting a culture that evaluates innovation. The results highlight the importance of leadership in the design of institutional cultures, which improves service quality, lecturers, academic employees and adaptability. This study provides practical insights to university leaders and proposes directions for future research.

Influence Income, Financial Knowledge and Culture on Financial Management Behavior (Case Study: Permanent Civil Servants in District Baucau, Ermera, Dili, and Bobonaro, Timor-Leste)

2025-10-09T23:27:47+00:00

The purpose of this research is to examine whether these factors affect the financial management behavior of permanent civil servants Timor-Leste. The sample selection technique in this study is accidental sampling. The sample used in this study is 396 respondents, obtained through questionnaires. This study used Smart-PLS 4.0 software to process the data. The results of the analysis showed that income, financial knowledge, and culture have a positive influence on the financial management behavior of permanent civil servants Timor-Leste.

Financial Literacy and Spiritual Intelligence: Their Impact on Financial Management Among MSME Restaurant in Dili City

2025-10-09T23:27:47+00:00

This study aims to analyze the impact of financial literacy and spiritual intelligence on the financial management of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The aspects of financial literacy explored in this study include financial knowledge, financial attitude, and financial behavior. To achieve this objective, the researcher conducted a study involving 125 restaurants categorized as MSME in Dili, which also serve as the sample for this research. A quantitative approach was employed, using questionnaires as the data collection instrument. The data were analyzed using SMART-PLS 4.0 to test reliability, validity, and hypotheses. The results of this study indicate that the components of financial literacy along with spiritual intelligence, has a positive and significant impact on the financial management of MSMEs, as shown in the P-value of financial knowledge P (0.005), financial attitude P (0.005), financial behavior P (0.000), and spiritual intelligence P (0.000). The P-value of each variable is lower than the standard (P < 0.05). The findings show that components of financial literacy, support restaurant entrepreneurs in managing their financial affairs effectively and efficiently, helping them achieve their business goals. Furthermore, spiritual intelligence serves as a source of strength in overcoming financial problems and difficulties. This study contributes valuable insights that can help develop the aspects of financial literacy and spiritual intelligence, which, in turn, can assist MSMEs in improving financial management. Additionally, it provides practical contributions for restaurant managers and MSMEs by enhancing their knowledge, skills, and capacities in strategic decision-making regarding financial management.

The Mediating Effect of Work Engagement Between Work Motivation, Transformational Leadership, and Teacher Performance

2025-10-09T23:27:47+00:00

The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between work motivation, transformational leadership, and teacher performance. In addition, the mediating influence of work engagement was also investigated. The data were collected from 318 teachers in the Catholic’s secondary high school in the Dili municipality, Timor-Leste. The proposed model and hypotheses were evaluated using licensed SMART partial least squares (PLS) 4.0. The result shows that transformational leadership and teacher performance were significantly related. Likewise, work engagement and teacher performance are also significantly related. Meanwhile, work motivation and teacher performance were shown nonsignificant related. The results showed that work engagement mediated the relationship between work motivation and teacher performances. The results of this study will contribute to managers implementing human resource management practices and motivating employees to improve services.

Mediating Effect of Brand Image and Customer Trust on Product Quality and Purchase Decision: Evidence from ETO Fuel Stations in Dili, Timor-Leste

2025-10-09T23:27:47+00:00

This study aims to examine the relationships among product quality, brand image, customer trust, and customer purchasing decisions. Using survey data from 384 respondents and analysing it with SMART-PLS 4.0, the results show that product quality significantly enhances both customer trust and purchasing decisions. Brand image does not directly influence purchasing decisions but mediates the link between product quality and purchase behaviour. Customer trust is a key driver of purchasing decisions, reinforcing its importance in customer–brand relationships. These findings suggest that improving product quality is essential for building trust and leveraging brand image to support effective marketing strategies.

The Tourism Graduate Performance on Employer Satisfaction through Soft Skill and Career Choice as Mediation: A Case Study of Tourism Industry in Dili Timor Leste.

2025-10-09T23:27:47+00:00

This study explores employer satisfaction with tourism graduates’ performance and examines the interplay between graduate performance, soft skills, career choice, and employer satisfaction. A quantitative descriptive method was applied, using survey questionnaires to gather data from 30 employers (directors, department heads, HR representatives) in Dili, Timor-Leste. Data analysis conducted using SMART PLS 4.0. Hypothesis testing demonstrated that graduate performance does not directly affect employer satisfaction (H1) but strongly impacts soft skills development (H2). In turn, there is a substantial correlation between soft skills and employer satisfaction (H3). While career choice does not mediate the association between graduate performance and employer happiness (H4), soft skills do, serving as a vital bridge between performance and satisfaction (H5). These results provided educators, legislators, and industry stakeholders practical advice on how to modify training programs and curriculum to satisfy the ever-changing demands of the travel and tourism industry. Employers and the larger tourist sector will ultimately gain from graduates' increased ability to adapt to workplace needs through the development of soft skills like creativity and leadership

Customer Satisfaction as a Mediator Between Product Quality, Service Quality, Price, and Purchasing Decisions: Evidence from Petrol Stations in Dili, Timor-Leste

2025-10-09T23:27:47+00:00

This study explores the effects of product quality, service quality, and price on customer satisfaction and purchasing behaviour in Timor-Leste’s fuel industry, applying SMART PLS 4.0 for analysis. The findings demonstrate that service quality plays a decisive role in enhancing both satisfaction and purchase decisions, whereas product quality shows no direct influence. Price also does not directly shape purchasing behaviour, yet it contributes positively to satisfaction, which subsequently mediates its effect together with service quality. Overall, the results highlight the central importance of service excellence and transparent pricing in shaping consumer choices, suggesting that businesses must strengthen service delivery, maintain fair pricing practices, and foster customer trust to remain competitive. To enhance generalizability, future studies are encouraged to investigate these relationships across industries and cultural contexts, incorporating longitudinal and qualitative approaches to capture the evolving nature of consumer behaviour in the digital era.

The Impact of Human Resource Planning and Recruitment System on Employee Performance through Employee Placement: A Case Study in RAEOA

2025-10-09T23:27:47+00:00

Employee performance is fundamentally linked to the strategic allocation of human resources, where the alignment of skills, roles, and organizational needs determines the effectiveness of service delivery. This study investigates the influence of human resource planning, recruitment systems, and job allocation on employee performance within the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cusse Ambeno (RAEOA), Timor-Leste. A quantitative research approach was employed, using a structured survey distributed among public servants, with the data analyzed through advanced statistical modeling. The findings reveal that human resource planning, recruitment systems, and job allocation significantly contribute to performance outcomes, both individually and collectively. Importantly, job allocation is identified as a mediating mechanism that translates planning and recruitment strategies into measurable improvements in employee performance. These results underscore the critical role of systematic workforce forecasting, competency-based recruitment, and effective placement in enhancing organizational efficiency and accountability. By contextualizing human resource practices in a resource-constrained public sector environment, the study contributes to the empirical literature on strategic human resource management in developing and post-conflict economies and offers practical insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to strengthen institutional capacity and service delivery.